enumerated powers
Constitution's granted authorities
Enumerated powers are the specific authorities explicitly listed in a constitution or founding document.
In U.S. government, the term refers to powers granted to Congress in Article I of the Constitution—such as levying taxes, regulating commerce, declaring war, and coining money.
Powers not enumerated are theoretically reserved to the states or the people.
The federal government's authority to act must derive from its enumerated powers.
- Tenth AmendmentStates retain unassigned powers
- necessary and properConstitutionally permitted congressional powers
- concurrent powersPowers held by multiple governments
- taxationCompulsory government revenue collection
- articlesWritten works or items
legislation · constitution · Article I · constitutional law · textualism · sovereignty · limited government · originalism · coinage · foreign affairs · postal system · rule of law · states' rights · framers · defense · clauses · separation of powers · interstate commerce
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment
- Congress powersdeclare war, impeachment, lawmaking, appropriations, advice and consent
- ConstitutionBill of Rights, preamble, articles, U.S. Constitution, Article I
- constitutional governmentseparation of powers, checks and balances, branches of government, executive branch, legislative branch
- Early RepublicGeorge Washington, Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Constitutional Convention
- federal powersdeclare war, interstate commerce, national defense, federal taxes, war powers
enumerated powersreserved powers
Governmental abilities kept by states